2015 (English)In: Perspectives on the "Great" War: selected papers from the World War One International Conference Held at Queen Mary, University of London August 1st – 4th 2014 / [ed] Felicity Rash, Falco Pfalzgraf, 2015, Vol. August, 72-79 p.Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)

Abstract [en]

The 16 000 conscientious objectors at the beginning of World War One were largely ignored

because they were numerically insignificant and because the hostilities were expected to be

over by Christmas. By 1915, the growing resentment towards conscientious objectors due to

heavy battle losses and the realization that the war would be longer than expected made

pacifism increasingly problematical and controversial. With the introduction of conscription

in 1916 and the enlistment of many conscientious objectors in the Non-Combatant Corps –

where they served as stretcher bearers, ambulance drivers, canteen workers and road makers

– pacifism became increasingly identified with cowardice, as exemplified in the nickname

‘No-Courage Corps’.

My paper explores the different attitudes of pacifists to war and how these were

perceived by both fighting soldiers and civilians. I argue that novels have a special ability to

demonstrate the different views, their origins and effect on the individual concerned. The